Monthly Archives: October 2013

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Karl Lagerfeld has said that “nobody wants to see curvy women on the runway” – what a joke! But don’t fret, this isn’t the first comment the French designer has made. Karly Boy has blamed so-called fat people and their associated illnesses for the health deficit in France. If you think that’s shocking, there’s more. The designer has said that fat people waste the country’s tax revenue through their ailments. PLEEEEEASE Karl – I’m cringing whilst reading these statements! Hold up, there’s another one…apparently the hole in social security was down to diseases caught be people who are too fat. I am actually laughing out loud but reading these pathetic, ridiculous, demoralising statements.

I have two main issues with these GRGRBJHBSDHJVLBALJSHDBV statements:

1) Karl’s idea of a fat person is probably someone who is a size 10+ – not what I associate with ‘fat’ in my books…Largerman, people do not need to be intimidated by your perfect catwalk models – they ain’t perfect…too skinny actually, très unrealistic.

2) This dude is a pretty influential guy within the fashion industry, in fact, majorly influential. However, now I hope he is seen as an embarrassment for the fashion industry. You know, over the years many people have blamed this industry for causing anorexia and to be brutally honest, I haven’t agreed with the accusation. Yet, when I read statements like these it makes me think that yeah, I can kinda see where these people are coming from. Teenage girls love fashion magazines > fashion magazines are influenced by designers .> designers create the illusion of the perfect body image. So, although these kind of statements may not be the main cause of anorexia, they definitely contribute to the illness.

What happened to the beautiful, admirable curves of Marilyn Monroe? When did we say toodaloo to a sexy bust and a cherry bottom? We didn’t (I hope I am speaking on behalf of many). Fashion did. Yes, I do believe that fashion has done a lot of great things and promoted certain causes in a positive way, but the idea of curvy women not being on the catwalk is one area where I feel fashion has taken its opinion too far.

Karl, our 80-year-old EX-person-who-fashion-lovers-used-to-admire, you deserve to get faced with a penalty. These comments are derogatory. They are quite frankly a joke. CURVY WOMEN SHOULD BE STRUTTING THEIR STUFF ON THE CATWALK. What is the world without a diversity in figures and sizes?! I am mentally appalled.

Halloween is coming up SPOOOOKY. Sorry to state the obvious but I thought that was a great opening line to give you a taste of what this post will be inspired by – Halloween. You see, when I think of Halloween I think of darkness, shadows, and, well, eccentrics. Halloween is an awesome holiday…people can dress however they want and they don’t need to care what others think. You know the quote from Mean Girls “In girl world, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” People do not care on Halloween when it comes to dressing up. However some people tend not to wear fancy dress. In fact it could be said that goths and punks (and sluts) are a stereotype in which people copy for Halloween, but is this right? Should we be mocking this culture?

Punks and goths (who I will refer to as “poths” from now on) are absolutely awesome. They are a culture that inspire so many different looks and styles. Designers such as the infamous Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood have thrived on these subcultural groups – their style literally derives from everything poths (remember this is my term for punk+goth) stand for. These designs are so grungy and imperfect that there is a certain elegance about them; McQueen even referred to himself as a “romantic schizophrenic”. Poths definitely inspire designers to think outside the box and break boundaries, as well as the fashion morale. But, also, both the blackness and awkwardness of the ‘look’ causes the fashion-admirer to feel a deeper meaning within the outfit (soppy Sasha, I know, but it’s true!). In an interview with Vogue Vivienne Westwood said: “I just couldn’t stand the idea of people being tortured…I hated the older generation, who had done nothing about it. Punk was a call-to-arms for me.” What I can gather from this quote is that punk (and the gothic) is about going against the norm. The look is a stance of fighting for freedom and rebelling against society – scaring society into changing its ways.

What else do the poths inspire fashion wise? CRAZINESS – the ability to wear what you want, say what you want, dye your hair whatever colour you want, get a piercing in the craziest place (I’m not a fan of the Prince Albert to be honest). In all seriousness, do you think people would have enough confidence to walk out the house wearing what they felt (emotionally) were it not for fashion embracing the punk grunge and the dangerous romance of the goths? If fashion never deemed these looks sexy or cool then, let’s face it, people probably wouldn’t have the guts to mismatch outfits or wear PVC. I’m not saying that it’s acceptable for fashion to choose what people should wear, but it has to be noted that in this instance the fashion industry has used its power to the best of its ability. We have to praise the industry for embracing the punks and the goths. They promote innovation, fanatical looks – fashion breaks boundaries. I’ve said this many a time before, but it’s true. Without fashion breaking boundaries then people would have 0 confidence and wouldn’t feel free to wear what they want to speak.

So, do I think it’s wrong that people dress as a poth for Halloween? Well, it’s not wrong to the extent that they should be put in jail and protested against, but it’s wrong in the sense that dressing up as a punk or a goth for Halloween is acceptable. It isn’t a costume. It’s a serious style that has inspired fashion and people – it is one of the only looks that speaks words. But, I must say…girls who dress up as sluts for Halloween – HAHA. Despite what Cady from Mean Girls says – girls will always bitch about you if you dress like a slut. Ass and boobs will never be in fashion (unless you’re Kate Moss).

Shock. That’s right, fashion loves a bit of shock factor. It’s one of the very few industries that goes out of its way to break rules in order to make people’s jaws drop 10 inches. You see, fashion doesn’t care. If there is something controversial going on in the world, fashion will make an undeniable effort to add to the controversy. It makes something beautiful out of a bad situation.

I’m the kind of person who appreciates the creativity behind a photograph. I always tend to scoop out the meaning of an image, or even a fashion campaign. I think to myself that there’s a reason that a picture is the way it is; there’s a story behind it. Some fashion photographers, such as Steven Meisel, get their storyboard and capture it in one shot. Perfection. But, some people (who I like to call naïve and obnoxious) tend to think that fashion is facetious and fickle. But man are these people wrong! Fashion has the ability to wrap the upmost dramatic events in a style that is so romantic and artistic. It is most definitely not as easy as it sounds.

The photos shown in the video above shouts out ‘COME AT ME PUBLIC, I’M STIRRING OPINIONS AND I DON’T CARE!” I understand people thinking that these images are sickening and repulsive – I mean, how can someone make Hurricane Sandy look so beautiful? Well, that’s not the point and if you think these images are grotesque then I’m sorry, but I completely disagree. In the cases shown above, fashion is attempting to highlight the event. A lot of bad things happen in the world today…fact. Surely, these images just represent a visual presentation of these events in a beautiful way? Yes, traumatic events happen, but if they are not captured in a light-hearted way that everyone can relate to then they become lost in our memories as a fact.

Fashion is a knowingly abstract industry. It likes to show things in a new, innovative way. Although fashion is mainly associated with clothes and make-up and accessories and bla bla bla, it’s also prominently associated with people. Human interactions, really. So, when a bad thing happens it’s fashions role to show the event in an unprecedented way. I respect fashion for this. You can’t say it doesn’t have balls!

Sex sells and we buy it. Ad campaigns are all about sexual appeal and seducing the consumer to indulge in the product. However, where does the line lay that creates the barrier between a racy, steamy image and pornography? In advertisements, naked women create a hell of an audience. The women sell to men because, well, what man wouldn’t want to invest in a hot ladette! And they sell to women because nearly every lady out there wishes to be that stunning girl on the billboard – buying the product gives us the hope of becoming that women (yes, Irina Shayk, I want to be you).

You see, many designers make their products innovative an eclectic by breaking the fashion boundaries. Womens’ designs can be androgynous and have a masculine edge, whereas mens’ designs can reflect the more ‘touchy feely’ side to a man. My point is that the products themselves can be as out-there as the designer wants it to be. Fashion can break boundaries. This is where the difference lies between a collection having the ability to be unconventional and its advertising campaign having to be slightly orthodox. Designs can do what they like; they can be fun and flirty. Advertisements, however, cannot disrespect. If you disrespect the subject, then you disrespect the audience. Although any photographer and editor is open to be as artsy as they want, they can’t portray a woman as sexualised object…although many do.

Through centuries of fashion and politics, women have been objectified. We are stereotypically seen to hold an expressive role of being housewives and having the role of making men happy (so gross). Advertising within the fashion industry sort of promotes this idea. Images of women baring their flesh = a higher revenue for the magazine or product. Thus, when a butt-naked girl appears as the main subject of something, it will outperform anything and anyone. Inevitably, the more provocative the advert is, the more the audience is drawn to it – who doesn’t love a bit of scandal, right?

We live in a century where people are so caught up in what they see that they override what they get. At the end of the day, sex should not sell. The sexual part of an image is an aim to get an audience. Although it sometimes tells a story, the majority of the time the phenomena is used to get money and get popular. People these days get so caught up in the media that the whole idea of creativity and imagination is lost. No longer is the beauty of the product recognised, but the derogatory meaning of the advertisements. To me, when a sexual advert is used to promote a product, I think that the designers (or PR guys) have, well, run out of imagination for the season. How degrading.

I was casually reading my tweets on the train home today and came across something about child labour laws in regards to modelling. I had no idea there were such thing, and so being the inquisitive person that I am (a key skill for becoming a journalist as I’ve been told – booya!) I decided to use the great mind of Google to find out about it. Gosh, I sound like some boring doctor! When a new law is passed, especially in the fashion industry, I like to know what it’s about – I mean, how many laws are passed in relation to matters that aren’t taken seriously?!

You know, I think it’s kind of cute when you see a child advertising a brand but, to be honest, their rights as employees has never crossed my mind – does this make me naïve? I guess it’s now my job to tell you about this new law that protects child modelling labour rights. Well…….

Children under the age of 18 will be recognised as child performers.

There’ll be limits to the number of hours they can work (don’t we all wish this was the case!).

A strict curfew of midnight will be put in place on a school night.

There must be chaperones and/or tutors on set.

…I don’t know about you but I’m not the sort of girl who loves law but the fact none of these legislations were in place actually shocks me. The fact that this age group was not protected before this law passed is just WOW – hello we live in the 21st Century, exploitation should not be happening! It’s so not chic. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for children modelling for clothes, whatever age they are, I’m just not cool with stubborn designers thinking it’s ok to over-work kids so long as their line looks good. Hate to break it to you Marc Jacobs, but modelling your clothes on guilt is very last season.

Unfortunately, there’s an unfortunately that goes a long with this law. IT IS ONLY RELEVANT TO NEW YORK. Shame, right? Well, I have no doubt that other fashion capitals will be following in the Louboutin’s of The Big Apple. If you’re a famous designer reading this piece (please god, one day) then watch out, because if you exploit a child under these regulations you could be fined $1000 dollars for the first offence…and trust me the more offences, the more $$$.

Like this:

I quite like my facial features. I have a little bump on my nose, but other than that I’m happy. I think my lips are quite a nice size…I definitely wouldn’t want them to be any bigger…and, all in all, I don’t think the proportions of my face are horrific. If I am being vain then I apologise. All I am trying to say is that if I had the chance to change the size of anything on my face then I wouldn’t. To me, faces are similar to puzzles; the features fit the shape of the face. Why people would want to put the wrong piece of the puzzle in the wrong place is beyond me!

I was out last week and noticed a woman with mahoosive lips (is mahoosive a real word or have I just made that up?) and a forehead so tightly stretched out that it looked as if it had been ironed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for plastic surgery if a person wants it but I just wonder why people go for it. Half the time people get plastic surgery to make themselves look younger, but they end up looking older. Others get nose jobs because their nose is too flat or too raised, but their noses end up looking like squashed tomatoes. A handful of people choose to get botox to enhance their lips, but these people end up looking like a puffa fish. Before I get scrutinised from being a bitch, I am talking about a handful of people who are, well, not so lucky with their experiences. There are an unbelievable amount of risks when having plastic surgery like an infection or nerve damage so why do people do it? Do they do it to feel better about themselves or because everyone else is doing it?

Obviously I can’t speak from personal experience but surely those people who have plastic surgery, that end up looking worse, feel a bit crap. They go out and everyone looks at them and thinks “why the hell did you do that to your face?” I kind of feel bad for those people because they didn’t mean for their surgery to go badly. But I say – if plastic surgery goes wrong once, it will go wrong again.

I always wonder how the craze of surgery came about. It’s not really promoted in the fashion industry. Yes, beauty sections in magazines have reviews on wrinkle creams and what have you, but there’s never (from what I’ve seen) been a whole massive campaign that’s pro-surgery, nor has there ever been a negative stigma attached to getting old. Age is natural and creeps up on every single person at some point in their lives (yes I agree, the later the better…thank god I’m only 18). I am not against plastic surgery but I think women and men should embrace the wrinkles and the size of their lips. Who knows, it might be that little wrinkle on the forehead that gets you a seat in rush hour!

Like this:

Some people wish they were super skinny, like models in a magazine. People love the bare bones. Not me though. I’ve always thought curves are nicer. In my opinion, they make clothes look better. If you have no boobs, bum or tum, then realistically all your body does is act like a curtain pole. So unattractive, right? I like to (well I try) to embrace my curves. I kind of like having an hourglass figure as opposed to being a straight, boring rectangle. What’s a body without shape? A blob. You can probably see where this post is going…

You see, a fierce issue I have with the fashion industry is body image. I like a perfect figure which, nowadays, is seen as imperfect. We only have fashion to thank for the idea that being skinny is sexy, but seriously, what’s sexy about it? Whilst I understand some people are naturally skinny, there are some who make themselves skinny by strong diets, for example. I mean, if you’re a size 0 you:

Are a AAAAAAA cup bra size

Fit into W20 jeans due to having no bottom

Have bones that poke out (seen as a “striking feature” in the modelling industry)

I could go on but you can see my point when I say that size 0 is not a real size. It’s fake. It’s a figment of our imagination and, obviously, photoshop. It’s a size that every women wishes they were, even though it’s non-existent.

To me, a sexy figure is any size so long as a woman adopts a Sasha Fierce kinda attitude. Size XS to size XXL are all the same thing! When you see a girl wearing her favourite outfit and feeling beautiful, you don’t think “oh wow, look at the pair on her,” you think “oh wow, she is working it!” WHO CARES if society deems XL as ‘fat’ – it’s not. Society is screwed in the head when it comes to body image…and I simply blame fashion. If fashion magazines or advertisers used plus-sized models then they would branch out to an entire new audience. Not just a plus-sized audience, but an audience of any size that appreciates when a fashion label has enough guts to break the barrier and use real people in campaigns directed to real people. So, not only would these models generate more business for the companies, but think how amazing people would feel knowing the industry isn’t as corrupt as it seems!

I am against size 0. I am against the super-skinny supermodels. I am for real people. I am for real figures. I am for making people feel as though the fashion industry is at their level. In all honesty it seems as though some designers create a statement where only “stunning” and “gorgeous” people can wear their clothes. I say to this…HA HA HA. People can wear whatever they want, it doesn’t matter whether they are big or not. Snooty brands and overly ambitious advertisements do not define size.

Everyone wants a designer item in their wardrobe…or two. I am guilty of this. I love designer products. Whether it be a precious Prada bag (please god one day), sexy Isabel Marant shoes, a Miu Miu coat or a beautiful Balenciaga dress – I want it. See, I am a sucker for designer. That doesn’t make me a snob, it just makes me a victim of wanting something of an extortionate price. On a single trip to Selfridges I could admittedly spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on, basically, everything. Yet, you could argue that the designers are losing what makes them “special” due to the gazillions of copies on the high street. So, the question that enters my mind is whether or not there’s a point in these brands selling their items for no less than hundreds (well millions to me because it is all so out of reach) of pounds.

I have to admit that I love the fact I can’t afford most of the designer things I would like. When I get something designer it makes the piece more special because it’s something I’ve worked for. Call me a weirdo, but I see the outrageous prices as, hmm, objects of ambition. I aspire to work hard for these things and when I achieve, I receive (through my own money of course, I am not a spoilt girl, although sometimes I wish I was!). Thus, these items are something special. Something I can work towards.

Of course this all goes to scrap when the high street shops, such as Topshop and River Island, choose to copy the designs of the beloved labels. I am personally so against high street copying designer. Ok, I understand that it gives people the chance to afford something that was originally unaffordable, but can the popular shops not come up with their own ideas and designs that are hot enough to set off trends? Yes, it is fair enough for these stores to take inspiration from top designers, but to copy the product so that they both look the same…not cool. Take the burberry shirt for example (you know, the one everyone is wearing with the hearts? The one first worn by Victoria Beckham and then by Harry Styles?). This £495 shirt has been replicated by Topshop and is selling for £38. Yes, I get this is a shirt with a simple design, but there is no need for Topshop to have copied every inch of the item and sell it as though its their design. JUST LIKE CHEATING IN A TEST IS UNACCEPTABLE, SO IS CHEATING IN FASHION.

When I (originally) thought of the high street market, I thought it was a great idea! These stores were creating trends…globally. I mean, as a young girl, I saw a point in time where it was high street leading designer. Everyone would rush to the shops to see the latest looks and buy them at such affordable prices and it was great. Everyone was a walking trend! But now, this has turned around, because the industry is back to square one. Designer is leading high street, again. Designer is the flamboyant woman walking her high street dog that is wearing an American Apparel hoodie – she’s leading the dog in the direction she wants to go in. I’m not saying this is bad but the cheaper goods should take inspiration, and may I repeat only inspiration, from the more expensive ones. This shouldn’t only be for “copyright” (or whatever the term is) reasons, but also because these cheap, exact copies take away the special feeling of owning something designer. High street is lessening the feeling of owning something so expensively beautiful.

WOW. A light bulb has just appeared above my head. I have a great analogy I’m going to end on. Cars. You don’t see a Fiat modelled in exactly the same way as a Maserati because that’s copying. So why is it acceptable for the high street to copy the designers? Products are products and copying is copying. Am I right?

I love make-up. Seeing as I’m a girl, that’s a pretty boring, typical, expected statement. Why do I love make-up though? Well, it gives me confidence. It makes me feel much nicer and way more presentable and so that kind of leads to me feeling good about myself. If I have a spot, I can cover it up. If I’m feeling pale, don’t worry Sash, slap on the bronzer! If my lips don’t match my outfit colour then lipstick it is. See, being a girl has its advantages (despite the period pains and the monthly schizophrenia) because we can wear make-up without being penalised. Yet, boys wearing make-up, well, yeah, it seems a bit strange…to some.

You see, there are certain aspects of the fashion industry I applaud. Boosting mens’ confidence to the extent that they feel as though they can slap on some lipstick and mascara is one. Back in the day men wearing make-up had a certain stigma attached to it; it was seen as “gay”. Yet, nowadays mens’ beauty products are sold everywhere! Through the evolution of the new man, shown by magazines such as GQ, it appears as though men are, in fact, just like women. They shed a tear now and then, they want to dress well, and if they have a spot, they want to cover it up. WHO CARES THOUGH! Girls can wear make-up, so why is it so weird for boys too as well? Ok, personally, I draw the line at men going out wearing bright red lipstick but if they feel crappy then they also deserve a confidence boost, even if that does lead to a mini-tan. HELLO old fogeys. We live in the 21st century here. There is no longer a stigma attached to men being pretty. People are allowed to wear what they want, do what they want and say what they want.

You know, this is the first point in my blog whereby I actually applaud the fashion industry. Through the way fashion is presented, there is now a massive emphasis on mens’ style and dress sense. In the olden days going out on a first date meant that women needed to look perfectamondo; if a single hair was out of place then giiiiirl she was getting dumped…so you get my point about women having to completely stress out before their first date, right? Well, today, men, or boys, need to make an effort. TRUST ME. If a guy doesn’t look good or dress well then he needs a really good personality to grab a lady’s attention. Sad and harsh but true…forget that actually, not harsh…the shoe has always been on the other foot and women have always had to look amazing in order to ‘spark a man’s appetite’. Now it’s the boys turn to make an effort. Thank you fashion, men can now get a taste of their own medicine muahaha……….

Boys. Do not, in any way, shape or form, think it is weird to wear make-up. You are free spirits and have every right to want to look the part. Go and buy a concealer or a bronzer or a clear mascara and get painting! Too much negativity is floating around the air as to men wanting to look nice and presentable. But who cares? If men want to touch-up then they should go for it. There are plenty of women who can make a transformation, so please, tell me, why can’t men? I’m intrigued.

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I’m lying in bed with a Nivea face mask on, which is so thick that my face has replaced 3D by becoming 6D or something. Why am I painting myself white, you ask? Well, other than my mother constantly going on about how Nivea gets rid of wrinkles (I’m only 18 mum!), I have had an outbreak. You see, I don’t really think my skin is used to London city dirt and compact trains. So now, as a result of hard work and determination…I have spots.

Yes, I know, everyone gets spots now and again and I have to deal with it, and I will. But how is it fair that the when I go out everyone gets to see me spots, yet, when Vogue cover models such as Kate Moss or Beyonce Knowles get published nobody gets to see their blemishes?! Ok, yes, I hear you. Me getting the train to Victoria every day is not on the same scale as having my picture published globally. But surely, every single cover girl for every single beauty or fashion magazine has had one teeny-weeny blemish on their face. I don’t know about anyone else but I couldn’t care less if Elle Macpherson had a spot on her face. In fact, I would appreciate it. I reckon that fashion magazines would gain a lot more respect if they kept their cover girls in their original form without photoshopping them, because CELEBRITIES ARE REAL PEOPLE AND GET SPOTS AND OCCASIONALLY PUT ON WEIGHT AND SOMETIMES HAVE A CROSSBITE – but who cares! That’s reality! Bare all Vogue, Elle and Cosmo, we (well I’m not sure who ‘we’ is but I’m sure a few people will be agreeing with me) want to see the real side of these real people that you put on the covers of magazines.

The UK Vogue December 1999 ‘Millennium Issue’ featured a reflective mirror-like cover. Pure genius. Every day readers had the chance to be a cover star…and no photoshopped was used here. That’s the point though. When people read magazines, especially fashion magazines, they read them to be inspired by the latest looks and stories. How can a person be inspired by someone with flawless skin, other than saying to themselves ‘I’m going to make my skin perfect’? It’s not realistic.

One day there will be a cover shoot where photoshop isn’t used. In my opinion, this will be the best cover of all time. We all have spots. We all have to get over them…fashion included.